Pieces that slowly connect
by SLYmeiling
Summary: Luffy's crew is dead. So Luffy goes back to change it. Someone messes with her/him. Luffy will meet mini-Ace and will teach him about the importance of his life.
1. Harsh reality

**SLYmeiling doesn't own One Piece! The truth really hurts.**

 _Italic - thoughts and flashback speech_

WARNING: May contain mature language and a little tears.

 **Marineford**

The loyal Straw-hat crew assembled themselves in front of their crushed captain, the crew consisted of Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Nico Robin, Chopper, Usopp, Brook and Franky. The only thought the entire crew was:

 _"Why wasn't I strong enough?"_

 _"If I was stronger, Luffy wouldn't be suffering, I fail as his crew!"_

The crew was hit hard with the truth that they were simply too weak to survive in New World. They had once thought that together, they would be 'strong' and 'invincible' and able to take on everything this unfair world threw at them.

They couldn't. They finally understood that they couldn't take on the world like they had formerly thought, and that there were stronger opponents in the vast seas. Much stronger. The truth hurt.

If they were invincible, then how did the captain get captured in their place?

 **Flashback**

"Zehahaha Mugiwara!" Blackbeard's hands were gripping Nami's throat, leaving her with no air to breathe with. Her eyes were wide with fear and small ragged gasps were escaping her throat. "Surrender to me."

The crew were forced onto the floor of the Thousand Sunny because of Blackbeard's devil fruit, while Nami could sense herself drifting away from her body and leaving to go to a peaceful place one where there are no worries in the world. But then reality came back, the navigator was almost out of time so she tried to make Blackbeard release her by clawing her fingers at his hands uselessly. "Gurr..." Nami kicked her long legs and tried to make a futile effort to escape for air. "D-don't (gasp) L-lu..."

Without a second to think, Luffy grabbed the kairoseki handcuffs and winced as he was sapped of strength and attached them to his wrists "Blackbeard now leave them alone." As a low deep voice demanded.

Blackbeard grinned and released Nami from his grip and she dropped to the ground.

The navigator kept coughing while Sanji glared at Blackbeard "Ack ack ack!" She raised her hand towards Luffy, trying to make him reconsider "Luffy... don't..."

Luffy looked at the crew who pledged their loyalty to him one last time before getting tugged away.

 _Thank you for everything._

After Blackbeard and Luffy left, the crew were released from the effects of the Yami Yami fruit. The crew instantly raced to the deck only to see Luffy was nowhere in sight.

The cook with the curly eyebrows slammed his fists onto the railings "Shit! Luffy's gone and it's all my fault!" Sanji stopped his rant before continuing to wreck a part of the ship in frustration as he spoke "FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKKK!"

No one said anything or made any signs to move from their spots.

 **Flashback end (ON THE THOUSAND SUNNY)**

Here they were, the crew stood in front of a barrel on the Thousand Sunny that was currently heading to Marineford. Why? It's obvious, to save their lovable captain. They felt the need to do some confessions knowing that they could die on Marineford.

"I'm the first mate. I defeated Mihawk and became the Greatest Swordsman in the world, it was all thanks to that idiot captain." Zoro would have chuckled if the situation was different, instead he thrusted his white sheathed sword to the sky. "First mates are supposed to protect their captain right? I toke Luffy's pain when I fought against Kuma. I then realised how much he suffered." He just glared at the sky in self-disgust for being so weak. _I'm the Pirate King's first mate? What a joke._

There were too many moments where he wondered, how would he become the world's Greatest Swordsman, if his captain was fighting all the strong guys while Zoro fought all the weaklings?

 _"Got it..." steam slowly rised from Luffy's body as he activated his Gear Second, his fist touch the ground "This isn't hell or anything..."_

 _Sogeking watched his captain arise once again and charge into battle again. "Luffy..." It made him admire Luffy, how he was able to get back up and face his opponent again. 'Where did Luffy get his courage from?' Usopp wiped his tears and yelled to encourage his friend "Beat him! Then we'll all go back together, Luffy!"_

 _"No matter what!" steam exited the body at a even faster rate._

 _Lucci just sighed at how persistent Luffy is, and turned to look at the straw-hatted boy again "You can move again?"_

 _"I'm not gonna give up."_

When Luffy recruited Zoro, the straw-hatted boy saved Zoro who was nearly executed. Now, it was the swordsman's turn to save his captain.

 _"Shishishishi... Resist the navy here together with me will make you an outlaw!" Luffy presented Zoro's swords in front of him before making a proposal. "Or maybe you want to die here?"_

 _"Are you the offspring of the devil..." The green-headed guy definitely couldn't die before becoming the Greatest Swordsman in the world "Forget it... rather than dying here... why don't I just accept your request" Zoro smirked "AND BECOME A PIRATE!"_

The orange-haired navigator gripped her Clima-tact in her sweaty palms as she knew that she may die on Marineford or worse, she could be a burden to everyone "I am the Strawhat's navigator, I was meant to lead him around the world and eventually find the One Piece but I lead him to his execution!" She shoved her hands to her face in attempt to stop the tears from flowing. "I hate it! Why can't I fight on the front lines? Why must I be the support? The support has to be protected or they'll be a burden to everyone!"

"Nami..." Sanji started as he patted her back and gave her a piece of tissue.

"I don't deserve what Luffy has done for me..." She gritted her teeth as she remember the times Luffy came back with horrendous injuries that even Chopper couldn't heal.

All the crew did was watch their captain suffer, after all that's **all** they could do. Chopper was far to inexperienced to heal those wounds as one wrong move could cost Monkey D. Luffy's life. "Bell-mere, Nojiko...what should I do? Luffy can't die. He just can't!"

 _"NAMI! YOU'RE MY CREW-MATE,"_ _Luffy shouted as he emerged from the ruins of Arlong's Park in bloody clothing. "GOT IT?"_

 _"Got it!" Tears began to stream down her red cheeks as she watched Luffy walk out of Arlong Park._

"Luffy's my best friend! Like hell I'll let him die!" The man with the long nose stood with his body facing the ocean, where many sea kings lurk however Usopp didn't even show a hint of hesitation or shaking. This behaviour contrasted against his usual behaviour on the Thousand Sunny. "He's has to live as the Pirate King! He doesn't deserve to die. He's too young! He finally became the Pirate King and then he die soon after? Luffy's sacrificed so much just to become king! Being king is his dream!"

The crew knew what Usopp meant by 'sacrificed'. Ace sacrificed himself to save his brother in Marineford.

 _"I'll do it!" Luffy clenched his fists and pointed them to the skies, making sure that even the heavens will heed his declaration_ _"I'M GONNA BECOME THE KING OF THE PIRATES!"_

"He toke me on adventures even when I was weak and useless. He listens to my tales despite knowing that they are only tales." He clenched his inventions closer as if he wouldn't see them in a while. "I... I wouldn't be able to face Kaya if my best friend dies!"

 _"Just one more time..." Usopp kneels on the ground "Let me be your nakama!"_

 _Luffy stretched his arm to Usopp as he watched the long nosed guy beg for forgiveness "YOU IDIOT! HURRY UP AND GRAB ON!"_

"That shitty captain made the lovely ladies worried" The cook made a displeased face "...and the crew hasn't been the same without that gluttonous captain being... you know... Luffy." Sanji couldn't think of a word to describe their captain. **(A.N. can you?)**

 _"SANJI! MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! I WANT MEAT!"_

He looked at the plate of meat that sat on the lawn which was originally made for Luffy "Although I don't want to admit it, I miss that glutton. He's the reason I'm sailing on the Grandline searching for the All Blue."

 _"I refuse your refusal!"_

The blonde cook began to eat the meat and Zoro, Usopp and Chopper followed suit "...And now I'll save my stupid captain..." He whispered in a quiet voice that was barely audible to anyone but himself.

'...the only one I'll follow even to death. If he dies, I'll drag him back smack him a few times, throw him in the oven for making me worried.'

With that he threw the bone into the vast ocean and lit a cigarette and smoked it exhaling a chain of smoke. The blonde cook glanced up to the horizon. _I can see why he loves to sit and watch the sunset now._

 _"Hey, have you ever heard of the All Blue?"_

The edges of the emotionally frail reindeer's eyes glistened in the light. "Luffy, you are my first and best friend next to Usopp. You toke me along on your adventures, I had a lot of good fun, learnt so much and met friends..."

"Thank you for taking care of a monster like me." Chopper started to trail off as he began to whimper "To be honest... I'm so weak that I always needed you to save me..." The blue-nosed reindeer started to sob loudly "I'm the doctor but I couldn't help mend the wound on your heart when Ace died... I'm so sorry..." at the end of the reindeer's speech he latched himself onto Zoro's leg, snuggling in for comfort. "I wasn't there to treat your wounds on Marineford."

 _"Don't you see? I'm a monster, I stand on two feet, I talk like a human and I have a blue nose."_

"I was once Captain-san's enemy but he accepted without considering that I could betray him." Robin touched her hair "He even declared a war on the World Government for me." _Saul was right... I found nakama who will protect me no matter what._ "I have been given the reason to live: It was to be the archaeologist of the Strawhats."

 _Luffy picked up Robin and threw her over his shoulder "Yosh, let's get out of here."_

 _"Wait a second," Robin looked towards the ground "I have no reason to live! Put me down and leave!"_

 _The male stood there for a moment and thought about it "Why the hell should I listen to you?"_

"If it wasn't for Captain-san, I would have probably died." She gave a fond smile at this. "I've always thought that the world was better off with me dead, but you wanted me to live."

 _"ROBIIIIN! I CAME TO BRING YOU BACK!"_

 _Robin's heart ached. She wanted to join the crew but she couldn't help but realise that the World Government would hunt them._

 _Luffy didn't give up. He couldn't. Not after getting so far. He's not returning without his nakama. Especially when she could die. "SAY YOU WANT TO LIVE!"_

 _Memories came rushing forth like a tsunami, making Robin cry. Her existence was said to be a sin. So why are these people going against the World Government for her? It was simple: She finally found her nakama, just like Saul said._

 _Tears started to trickle down her face "I WANT TO LIVE! TAKE ME OUT TO THE SEA WITH YOU!"_

The cyborg looked at the sea "Me and Luffy-bro started on the wrong foot but that didn't stop me from joining him and becoming his shipwright." Franky looked proud. He's the Pirate King's one and only shipwright. "The way Luffy-bro recruited me was SUPPPER~ uncool..." He stopped to glare at the archaeologist who sweetly smiled back.

 _"If I might get a little rough," Robin turned from Franky's indecent exposure and towards her new captain "Can I give a hand?" But who would have thought that she meant it literally..._

 _Nami and Luffy stopped "Eh, now that you say it... Ice-ossan also said he won't come if we won't use force..."_

 _"But, how?" Nami inquired._

 _She smirked and crossed her arms "Dos Fleur...Grab." And clenched her fists._

Think about being punched in the stomach. Then imagine that and multiply it by about two. After that, think about something coming up into your stomach from below, than wanting to throw that up. And then imagine the after-pain of getting punched in the stomach again, but harder. This is how Franky was feeling right at that very moment.

 _Luffy's eyes popped out "They have been grabbed! THEY'VE BEEN GRABBED!"_

 _Chopper pleaded Robin to stop "They'll be smashed, Robin!"_

 _"They'll be torn off!"_

 _"They'll be taken off!"_

 _"Just like an orange!"_

 _"Oi Robin! I want him to still be a man when he becomes our nakama! DON'T TAKE THEM!"_

The skeleton chattered his teeth, held his violin to play Bink's Sake and began "I may not have known Luffy-san for as long as you," Brook settled his violin gently onto the floor "But I have pledged my loyalty just like all of you."

"Luffy-san may not be the brightest but in my heart," Made a skull joke which didn't lighten up the mood like it normally did, instead the atmosphere became even darker. They really miss their idiot captain. He tapped the location of where the heart should be and laughed "I don't have a heart because I'm dead. YOHOHOHO!" Then he narrowed his empty eye-socks and in a more sterner voice he continued "...however he'll forever be the strongest and the kindest."

He leaped onto the lawn of the Thousand Sunny "Without him, I'll still be alone without my shadow but my biggest regret is," Tears fell from the empty eye sockets "...that I'm not strong enough to fight alongside Luffy-san. He always fight to protect us whenever we needed the help and he always ends up severely hurt because of it."

 _"OI BROOK JOIN MY CREW!"_

 _"Sure."_

 _"WHAAAAAAAAATTTTT?" The crew exclaimed and their jaws hit the ground comically._

 **Marineford (BEFORE LUFFY'S EXECUTION)**

The person who possesses Red Haired Shanks' hat was on his knees, head laid loosely on his shoulders facing the ground.

The skin was bruised and burned in various places on the captain's body. The worse part was that Luffy was binded by kairoseki handcuffs on the tatty execution tower of Marineford, where some of the greatest pirates met their end.

 _"THANK YOU... FOR LOVING ME!"_

 _"ONE PIECE... IS OUT THERE!"_

The crew were soaking in the image of their captain completely battered, it was a truly pitiful sight. The King of the Pirates, who is considered to be the freest person in the World, was reduced to a lifeless shell of Monkey D. Luffy. The crew was angry, no...the word 'angry' can't describe how they were feeling, they felt: enraged and furious.

Luffy's eyes didn't have their usual shine, he didn't look up to see his nakama as he felt that he didn't have the right to.

He had several broken bones and a few injured organs, he loathed the feeling of making people worry for him. _I'm sorry..._

Sometimes Luffy thought that the 'D' meant disaster. Sabo died, Ace died, Monkey D. Garp died. Everyone he held dear has died in tragic deaths.

Monkey D. Garp died from Akainu's magma punch all because he was related to Monkey D. Dragon and Luffy. Luffy cried every night for two weeks. He tried until there was no tears left for him to cry out. He wouldn't eat. He didn't talk.

Two weeks... it was agonizing for the crew as they knew that there was nothing they can do to help his suffering. They didn't want to believe it but they couldn't help Luffy much. Every part of their adventures have been Luffy protecting them at all turns.

 _We're still too weak... what did we do in the two years that we were separated?_

"W-why are you here?" Luffy croaked and moved his sad eyes hesitantly to look at the crew "I HATE YOU! I REGRET MAKING YOU AS MY NAKAMA!" He tried to make his crew to leave by yelling at them. "YOU'RE WEAK!"

The Pirate King understood how Ace felt when his nakama came to rescue him. The crew was injured and tired after fighting their way into Marineford. They were tired.

Zoro and Sanji smacked him lightly on the head while taking note of his injuries "Shut it Luffy" And then pulled the captain into a tight, bone-crushing hug. "How will me and Marimo be called the Monster Trio without the third person?" The Marimo couldn't give a damn about his nickname at a time like this.

"GO AWAY! I CHOSE THIS!" The crew knew that Luffy was lying because Luffy kept his eyes on the ground and his arms twitched. "I WOULD RATHER DIE THEN GO BACK!"

Zoro and Sanji wanted to put an end to their captain's lies "Then tell us... why can't you look at us while saying that?"

"I... it's because I-"

"Because you are lying." Zoro it in such a way that even Luffy couldn't say anything. They could read him like a book. "You should know that you cant lie! So sit there and watch us!"

...

Luffy knew that at this point they wouldn't listen to his lies "...but why? I have Dragon's blood in me! Dragon's!"

"Yes" Luffy's eyes widened with shock "Just because you share some blood with Dragon doesn't mean anything to us. We're here because you accepted us for who we are now and not for our pasts." The other members of the crew soon joined the Monster Trio.

Luffy felt the warmth of his crew rush back. Luffy started to sob with his head almost touching the ground. This was it. This is his nakama. "Y-you guys...why are you so nice to me?"

"Think about it crappy captain."

Robin was the first person who pulled away from the hug and gave Luffy with a flowery smile that graced her tanned face and Luffy's face paled when the lone survivor of Oharan Clan crossed her slender arms "What Robin... what are you-"

"Fufufu... who knows Captain-san..." She showed Luffy an evil grin and continued "Dos fleur throw" Luffy was cut off as he felt arms attach themselves onto Luffy's torso then flinging him in to the distance of where Trafalgar Law and Hancock were. Trafalgar and Hancock were on the outskirts of Marineford.

Law whispered 'Room' underneath his breath and placed the Strawhat onto his knees while Hancock rapidly removed the seastone cuffs with the keys she somehow secured.

"Robin-chwan is so beautiful when she throws our shitty captain into the distance~" Sanji sang as his eyes turned into hearts while simultaneously dancing around Robin thus admiring her beauty.

"Pervert love cook" A vein pulsed on Sanji's forehead, as if he was going to take that from a guy with green hair.

"What was that shitty swordsman?" He snarled as the temperature around him rise.

Nami crept behind the quarrelling duo and bonked them on the head leaving a pain bump. "Oi this isn't the time!"

"Money-loving witch..."

"Nami-swan is looks soo lovely when she's angry~" Sanji cooed.

Luffy yelled "Hurry up and leave!" The crew ignored him and began to wipe out the marines. "Stop fighting the marines and leave!"

"Why are they doing this?" He mumbled barely audible but Law and the beautiful Hancock heard it. "I'm not worth anything to this world."

"To save you." Hancock replied.

"I don't want to be saved." The atmosphere was so heavy that the Surgeon of Death felt himself getting crushed by the negativity around them. "I don't deserve it..."

Law broke the silence by "You don't get it. You saved them, gave them a home and this is how they'll repay you. Luffy-ya you have a good crew."

"With their lives? I'm not worth their lives!" Luffy blinked at the thought. _Am I that important to them? Why?_

As if the crew heard the conversation they shouted "YEA YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE WORTH THE WORLD TO US! WE'LL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP YOU HAPPY!" The Straw-hat crew turned around facing their backs to Luffy and held up their left arm revealing the 'X' tattoo on their forearm "Just promise us that even if we don't survive, you'll survive and live on."

Luffy was now in tears, shaking his head furiously "Not without you guys, I love you guys so don't leave me alone..." Luffy whimpered.

Promises meant nothing to the Pirate King, if they made him remain alone. Ace made a promise.

"You won't be alone. We'll be together forever." The archaeologist said softly so that only the crew except Luffy could hear. They all nodded.

"Zehahaha Mugiwara!" Blackbeard appeared and the crew began to attack him in unison. "You sacrificed yourself for your crew and yet they came to die!"

"Hancock-ya we must go."

There's a very high chance that the crew will die on Marineford, because Blackbeard possesses two devil fruits. One that was owned by Whitebeard. He also have the World Government and the Marines behind him which made it even more unlikely for the Strawhat crew to survive.

The only reason why Luffy escaped Marineford before was because the Whitebeard Pirates were there. Many people died just to ensure that Luffy would survive.

Nami and Robin were the first to go as they froze upon of witnessing Blackbeard's selective haki. **(A.N. I don't care. This is the result of complete mastery over haki!)** They couldn't move. The marines toke the chance to stab the females.

Nami gasped in pain "Gaahhh!" While Robin kept her mouth shut so the other crew members won't worry for her.

"So we are the first ones to go Navigator-san." Robin slowly chuckled as she summoned a pair of long slender legs to crush some of the corrupted marines before losing her strength as she was shot with a kairoseki bullet.

Robin fell before the injured Nami could catch her weak body "ROBBINN!" The orange headed woman growled at her surroundings, she stood up and saw her worried captain in the distance "You'll pay for this! I'll make sure of that!"

Nami charged at the hordes of marines as her vision was clouded with rage, summoning lightning from the darkened sky but was ambushed by Ryokugyu.

"Nami! Robin!" Sanji went into a enraged state as he saw the two female members die right infront of him without being able to help them.

Usopp yelled "Calm down Sanji or you'll go down too!" But Sanji bursted into flames and didn't hear Usopp's warning.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU'LL PAY!" He began to assault Blackbeard with blind rage but that was Sanji's downfall as he didn't pay attention to Borsalino who delivered a fatal blow to the cook's back.

Chopper transforms into his Horn Point form and Usopp used Chopper's antlers to fire his work hammer at Issho "HISSATSU USO-CHO HAMMER SUISEI!"

But to only be countered by Issho controlling the gravity and crushed Usopp and Chopper leaving them fatally wounded, as their vital organs have been crushed causing them to slowly die. Painfully. "Ch-chopper...we're gonna d-die huh?" Usopp attempted to crawl towards the dying Chopper before getting stabbed in the heart by a marine.

"YOHOHO seems like this time I'll actually die but..." He stepped only to bump into the tired cyborg, Franky "I do not fear death as long as I'm with these people."

The marines surrounded Franky and Brook with objects that were coated with kairoseki and electrical equipment that short circuited Franky's weapons. Brook held his broken violin to his chest and smiled with Franky. "You're SUPPPER right bro."

They died smiling as they found and died for the person who was worth more than the world to them.

Zoro faced Blackbeard alone as the others remained unmoving. They were dead. "So this is how weak we all are without Luffy." Zoro grinned as he was going to die for his best friend. _So this is how it ends huh? But I don't regret anything! I defeated Mihawk and claimed his title. Luffy became the Pirate King. Kuina, I've done it. Were you watching?_

The swordsman knew he was going to die as the Yami-Yami fruit has corrupted his organs.

Zoro held up his Wado Ichimoji and yelled at the top of his corrupted lungs "LUFFY YOU HAVE TO LIVE ON-" Zoro was forever cut off from finishing his last words as Akainu impaled his magma fists into the swordsman's chest.

He fell to the floor with a loud thud and died.

Luffy's mind was breaking down. He couldn't understand this. Why must everyone Luffy held dear die? What have they ever done for this? Was meeting Luffy a curse or a blessing?

"AWW...MUGIWARA YOUR CREW'S DEAD, THEY DIDN'T EVEN MAKE ME SWEAT. ZEHAHAHAH SO WEAK. SO WEAK. SO WEAK." Blackbeard continued his verbal assault as he started to trample on the dead corpses of the Straw-hat crew.

Luffy stumbled to his feet and began to charge to the corpses but a flash of blue and black stopped him. **"GET OUT OF MY WAY"** he growled as he infused haki into his growl, tears were flooding out of his heart-broken eyes, his body was shaking in pain.

The Surgeon of Death abused his pressure points to make Luffy pass out in addition to the countless nights of being tortured. "WE NEED TO GO NOW OR WE WON'T MAKE IT OUT OF MARINEFORD!"

 **On Hancock's ship**

When Luffy awakened from sleeping for a week straight. He expected to see Chopper making Rumble balls in the infirmary, but what he saw was a unfamiliar nurse.

Then his mind recalled everything.

The separation.

The torture.

The deaths of his crew.

The nurse heard some shuffling and found Luffy awake "Ah Luffy-san, you're finally awake." She came closer to record his temperature and check his condition.

Luffy slapped the hand away and screamed in hopes to see his crew rush in, but he realized that what he remembered was reality. He moved and tried to run for the door but several nurses came and held him down. Luffy had seastone on his wrists so he can't escape and wreck the moving ship.

"WHY!?" Luffy roared like a cornered animal, thrashing in the nurse's hold without any regards for his injuries. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?!"

"Luffy-san please calm down...your wounds they'll-" The nurses tried to calm the captain while minding his wounds.

The only surviving member turned to one of nurses "KILL ME! YOU CAN DO THAT RIGHT?" He started to shake the nurse violently. "You can right?"

"Stop it! Why can't you understand what happened?" A strong and firm slap delivered itself to Luffy's features. "They died for you so you can live!" The corners of Hancock's eyes were shining. "Stop torturing yourself!"

"She's right Luffy-ya, if you die then their sacrifices are wasted."

"Here Luffy, your crew left this before they left to Marineford." The straw-hat captain stared at the letter in Boa's hand. He hesitated but toke the letter.

 **Letter**

Luffy,

We want you to know the pride we felt when you called us your nakama. It made our hearts swell with pride.

You're strong, you're the Pirate King. It fooled us to believe that we were strong but we realised it the hard way. We thought we're strong because the Pirate King's crew is supposed to be strong but unfortunately it's not true.

We get hurt and end up getting captured then you have to save us. None of us were there when you needed us. Just like the time at Marineford. This time it's you who needs the help.

Everytime you get hurt, you would smile at us and say that you're fine. We know it's a lie, and that it's hurting a lot, but we can't do a thing to help you.

This is the time where we repay you.

Goodbye Luffy.

Thanks for everything. Hope that if we can, we hope that we can meet again.

 **Letter end**

With this Luffy bursted into tears and held the letter close to his scarred chest. "Luffy-san please stop crying, you must rest."

"Why..." He quietly whispered. "Where's Zoro's swords? Usopp's inventions? Nami's Clima-tact? Where's Sunny?"

Hancock's heart sank. _Why does this happen to him? What can I do for you?_

Law stared at Hancock and watched to see what Hancock would say. She could make a lie that won't last long, or she could tell Luffy the cruel truth.

None of those would help Luffy. Hancock bit her lip harshly, "Zoro's swords are kept as a trophy with Usopp's inventions and Nami's Clima-tact." She didn't want to say it but found herself saying it anyways "The Thousand Sunny... your ship, has been changed into a Marine warship because the ship was coated with seastone layers."

...

The Strawhat sat there as if he didn't understand what Hancock had just said.

"This isn't fair! How could you leave me?" Luffy threw a nearby chair into the wall and sobbed as he crawled into a ball and howled with the feeling of being alone. "I'M ALL ALONE NOW!"

 _Being alone is worst than getting hurt!_

Hancock couldn't stand Luffy being so fragile. The Luffy she knows was someone who didn't care for wealth, fame or power and would fight even with all the odds against him.

Law decided to make the others in the room give Luffy some time to collect his thoughts. It was too much for the boy. It would be too much for anyone let alone for the innocent boy. So he dragged Hancock out of the room and glared at the nurses to make them leave.

Hancock struggled and slapped Trafalgar's face "What are you doing!? Luffy needs me!"

"He needs some time alone. And you're not helping him." The woman glared at the man before walking away.

Luffy stayed awake for three consecutive days. The loneliness was killing him. That's when the idea came to him. Dying. Death can help him see his crew again.

He threw the glass cup onto the ground, causing it to shatter. It made Law look into the room, that's when he saw a piece of glass shard coming closer to Luffy's skin. "Room." The glass shard was stabbed into the walls. Trafalgar glared at the king "What are you doing?"

Luffy reached for the glass shard but Law pinned him down with his weight. The younger stretched his arm but Law threw him into the opposite wall. Luffy growls "What are you doing!? Let me!"

The Surgeon of Death hugged the Pirate King despite his protests. "Stop it Luffy-ya!"

"No!" He frantically tried to wiggle himself away.

"Dying won't help you!" He grabbed Luffy's face as hard as Law could, making such that there would be a bruise "It makes everything worse!"

"How? For who?" The Pirate King was too desperate to find his nakama, so he attempted suicide "I have no one left!"

He let go of Luffy and punched Luffy in the face. Law isn't really that good at comforting people.

Soon, there was warm water flowing from his eyes and ran down his face. Luffy tried to contain his emotions, but Hancock had to came in at that moment.

(Imagine that you are madly in love with someone, and you suddenly see the person you love on the ground and almost crying. And there's also another person standing with their fist slightly red. How would you react? This is how Hancock would have reacted.)

She stood there speechless, what she saw was different to what actually happened. She saw Law trying to take the advantage of her soon-to-be-husband. So Hancock pulled the Strawhat behind her in a possessive manner. **"What are you doing to _my_ Luffy?"**

Trafalgar just glared, as he didn't feel the need to explain himself. It wasn't like he tried to hurt him or anything. OK he did, but in a good way. Hancock wasn't going to simply take that from a man that wasn't Luffy, so she returned a glare that could freeze hell itself.

"He did nothing," Luffy said "My crew... wouldn't want to see me like this right?" He tried one of his signature smiles but ended up biting his lips to keep his tears in.

Her heart stopped for a second. Then she glared at Law again. _This man doesn't deserve to live!_ A thought suddenly clicked. _That devil fruit!_

"Wait here." The black-haired beauty wanted to help Luffy, so she ran to her room, rummaged through her belongings, and returned with a devil fruit in her hands. She pushed it in front of the broken captain "Luffy, if you had the chance to save your crew... would you?"

"Of course...why wouldn't I?"

Hancock smiled and sat on the bed "This is the Toki Toki no Mi, which could help you go back to change everything."

"Is that true Hancock?" Luffy choked on his words.

He couldn't believe it, he has a chance to save everyone.

Ace. Sabo. Whitebeard. Thatch. Garp. Zoro. Nami. Sanji. Usopp. Chopper. Robin. Franky. Brook. Everyone...

"Yes... but we don't know much about the fruit other than its ability to rewind time. No one has eaten the fruit to check that, because that devil fruit is said to have a mind of its own." Hancock explained. "There are legends that some people ate two devil fruits and survived." Hancock personally didn't want Luffy to take the risk "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Then how did they know about its ability?" Luffy understood the last part. "They died for me. I have to, even if I die! They're my crew. My nakama!"

"We only know its ability to rewind time because..." She cleared her throat before continuing "...The devil fruit spoke."

Law couldn't believe it nor did he want to believe it. _That shouldn't be possible._ "That's not possible."

 _Exactly what were 'devil fruits'?_

 _Where did they come from?_

 _Why are they in the shape of fruits?_

"How?" Luffy wasn't as dumb as his character portrayed. "And why are you telling me this? Why didn't you eat the devil fruit yourself?"

"I wanted to change something, but I realized that I might not meet you, so I gave up and welcomed what the future will bring."

"Thank you. Hancock and Torao..." Luffy stretched his arms around Law and Hancock to bide his farewells. "If it wasn't for you two, I would never have became the Pirate King." Luffy faced Law with his puffy eyes "Thank you."

He slowly tighten his grip and converted the slight hug into a bone-crushing hug but Law and Hancock didn't comment on the hug.

"I'll meet you again and I'll protect everyone, I SWEAR IT." Luffy declared as his eyes gleamed. "I'll destroy Teach before he kills Thatch, everything will become right."

 _Everyone... wait for me.._.

 **I'm sorry but ENGLISH is NOT my FIRST LANGUAGE :(**

 **There's always someone who is your nakama, who will stay by you even when the world ends, until time itself stops. It just takes you a few moments to get to know them and hold them close.**


	2. Do you fear death?

**SLYmeiling is still a disclaimer.**

 **Still on Hancock's ship**

Hancock bestowed the Toki Toki no Mi infront of the injured Luffy once again. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Luffy nodded. "Goodbye."

"Hancock don't say 'goodbye', you'll see me again." He seized a hold of both Hancock and the vigilant Law.

 _Hancock..._

She didn't hear anything beyond that. _Kyaa!_

 _Luffy said my name!_

 _Luffy said my name!_

 _What should I do?_

 _What should I do?_

 _Does this mean that he's proposing to me?_

 _I'm not ready yet!_

 _How many babies does he want?_

 _Five?_

 _Six?_

While Hancock was hyperventilating, Law was currently observing Strawhat's movements. In case he fell because the injuries he sustained wasn't exactly light. Especially after that additional punch in the face.

The Toki Toki no Mi was a clear star-shaped fruit with no actual pattern on it; just a mixture of distorted shapes. "Pretty weird…" He paused and mused at the fruit "...but this is the only chance..."

Luffy hungrily chomped into the mysterious fruit and closed his determined eyes. "Mmm...tastes quite nice..." He said in between his bites.

"Taste nice? Devil fruits are meant to taste disgusting!" Hancock, Law and Luffy had all experienced the bad taste of a devil fruit.

Hancock sighed with relief to see that her Luffy isn't in any visible kind of pain. She glared at the surgeon who was still in the room. _Can't he just go away now? I am beautiful therefore you should go._

Luffy soon finished the devil fruit and hummed in delight, while rubbing his stomach. "Oishi!" (Yummy!)

"How are you-?" She was cut short because Luffy suddenly fell to the ground. "Luffy! What's wrong?" Hancock then rushed to her unofficial boyfriend.

"Luffy-ya!" Law tried to locate where the pain was but Luffy was writhing in pain made it difficult, his wounds started bleeding heavily due to the sudden movement. "Get out!" Hancock didn't move, she was too frightened to move "NOW!" She dashed outside.

The Pirate King clenched his jaw shut to silence his whimpers. The doctor turned back to the younger male "Where is the pain?"

Luffy collapsed to the floor due to the feeling of the pain of a hundred daggers sinking into his stomach. Groaning and screaming with anguish, he writhed about on the floor, clutching his body. His eyes were watery with the sheer pain and his breathing came out in sharp, shallow rasps. Sweat dripped down the side of his face and covered his foreheard in a thin sheen. _It hurts so much..._

"I'm f-fine," He croaked, his desperate tone made his words almost inaudible, but they still echoed around the room.

Law tch-ed, the blood wasn't clotting properly which meant that the blood was running like water. _The way that Luffy-ya is bleeding, he won't last long!_ The doctor was a little angry, his patient was in pain but decided to lie to him.

Did Luffy not trust Law?

The surgeon made saving Luffy his top priority and tried to carried Luffy to the infirmary to get access to some medical equipment but Luffy screamed when Law touched his skin. "Uwaah!" He didn't want to put the straw-hatted boy in any more pain than he already is, so he teleported there using his devil fruit. (A.N. He can do that right?)

When they arrived in the medical room, Law rummaged through the drawers to find something to reduce the pain, he found some Articaine and injected it into his veins immediately. It wasn't like Law had the luxury to chose, it was either let Luffy suffer or give Luffy the Articaine and hope it helps. (A.N. Don't ask! I can't think of anything else!) He waited a minute for the Articaine to take effect, but Luffy started screaming even more a second later. "UWAAHHH!"

"It must be because of that devil fruit... the Articaine isn't working." Trafalgar quickly slipped on a pair of gloves and performed surgery to get rid of the devil fruit. "Room." He sliced the scalpel down near Luffy's stomach, but there was no cut. He couldn't cut through the skin even when Law was trying to cut him open. _Why can't I cut his skin?_

Luffy couldn't breathe, his throat was dry and raspy. _Am I going to die?_ Fate was a little annoying. When Luffy wants to die, he gets saved and survives while people die for him. When Luffy wants to live, he gets hurt and watches people worry for him. He gripped at his bandages and muttered "I-m sor-ry... I really am... dead... this time..."

"Luffy-ya! You won't!" _I won't let my friend and rival die! Not after all of this!_

It made Luffy's heart wrench, seeing how hard Law was trying to save him... it made him happy. Happy that someone cared for him. "T-Thank you..."

 _You must live, boy._

There was a voice that echoed in Luffy's brain. "W-who?" Law stopped and looked at his patient. _He's probably hallucinating from the blood loss._

 _You are my successor, no?_

Luffy wanted to threaten the voice and get that voice out of his head. "Who the hell are you?" He tried to make his voice intimidating but failed.

 _Do you not want to save your friends?_

Luffy was at Death's door and some guy is being really annoying! From the sound of things, it felt like the voice was challenging him and doubting Luffy's bonds with his nakama "Of course!" His voice died before it left his throat but the guy seemed to have heard it because he chuckled.

 _Then I'll help you for you are my successor._

The pain didn't stop. Instead it got even worse. The pain was too great that even Luffy couldn't hold in his screams. _How is this helping me?_ Luffy tried to grin at Trafalgar and reassure him but only spat blood out while heat rised and strange marks covered his body.

Law tried to take Luffy's temperature by moving his hand to the patient's forehead before snatching his hand back "What's going on!?" Luffy's temperature was enough to destroy every cell in the body, even if he was a rubber human the temperature is too high.

All of a sudden, Luffy felt an intense piercing pain shooting up his back. The world seemed to be in hyperdrive as adrenaline pulsates through his veins with loud booms, every sound is magnified to a huge number. He couldn't breathe, vision clouding, all his saw coloured shapes flashing above him.

Tears started falling from the straw-hatted boy. _I'm dying... Ace, Sabo I'm sorry but I did become the King of the Pirates so you guys can't be mad at me for dying!_

 _Pwahahaha... I told you that I'll help you. But first... do you fear death?_

The present Pirate King withstood the pain and shook his head. _Why should I be scared? When my nakama fought... they weren't scared! SO WHY THE HELL SHOULD I BE? I'm their captain!_

There was a quiet snigger floating in the air. _Pwahaha! Well said boy! Then lets not waste time!_

Something forced his eyes closed, his pain was leaving, his tiredness faded into darkness. However, the guilt and loneliness rushed forward drowning him in misery and self-hate. His soul strangely felt... at peace, something that he hadn't felt in years after Ace died.

Luffy's heart started to beat slower and slower, eventually it gave up and stopped. The surgeon tried to set Luffy's heart up again but failed after many attempts. Law dropped his scalpel and pushed himself to the nearest wall, grieving for the death of his friend and rival.

 **Even if you feel that your life is useless, there's always someone who will remember you. Someone who needs you, so find that special person and hold them close no matter what.**

 **One day, you'll just be a memory for some people. Do your best to be a good one.**

Pwahh...to be honest I'm giving up on this...for now. Goodbye. I know I'm mean.


End file.
